Driving connection for bicycles



(No Model.)

H. W. JOHNSTONB. DRIVING CONNECTION FOR BIOYOLBS.

No. 605,188. Patented June 7,1898.

panying drawings, in whichsecured a disk A, having on its face a con manHUGER \V. JOHNSTONE OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PAULI-I. JOHNSTONE, OF IDYLVILD, GEORGIA.

DRIVING CONNECTION FOR BIC YCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 605483, dated June '7,1898.

Application filed M81611 T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGER WV. J OHNSTONE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State ofGeorgia, have invented certain new and usei'ul Improvements in DrivingConnections for Bicycles, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improved means for connecting a driving partor member with a driven part or 1nembersuch, for instance, as thedriving or crank shaft of a bicycle and the driven or rear wheel.

The object of the invention is to connect the driving and driven partsby a connecting rod or rods in such a manner that a direct pull isexerted by the driving part without the use of cams or levers, while atthe same time the parts may be so arranged as to produce any amount ofspeed. a r f The invention is illustrated in the accom Figure 1 is asideelevation showing the invention as adapted for use in connectionwith a bicycle. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the disk on line 2 2 ofFig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is asectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 aredetail views.

In the drawings,A represents the crankshaft of a bicycle, and B the rearor driven wheel. To the crank-shaft on each side is tinuous way orgroove 0, which is provided at suitable intervals with angular portions0, extending approximately radially of the disk. The rear wheelof thebicycle is also provided upon each side with a disk-plate or crank-armD, to which is pivotally connectedthe rear end of a connecting-rod F,the forward end of which is provided with an an gular extension oroffset E, forming a journal which carries a roller E, which travels inthe continuous groove ot the corresponding disk uponthe front or crankaxle. Referring to Fig. 7, it will be seen that in the position of theparts as therein shown the roller E rests against the shoulder 0 formedby the angular portion of the groove, and upon the wheel or disk beingrotated in the direction of the arrow a direct pull would be impartedSerial No. 627,191- (No model.)

- through the connecting-rod to the disk upon the rear or driven wheel.This pull would continue to be exerted untilthe rod reached the positionshown in'dotted lines, representing the opposite rod, at which time therear wheel would have made a semirevolution. While the parts are in thisposition the roller E wouldbe drawn away from the shoulder and woulddrop into the lower portion of the groove and would permit theconnecting-rod to travel rearwardly while the driving-disk continued itsforward revolution. The length of the groove between any two shouldersis sufficient to permit the rod to travel backward until its point ofconnection with the disk upon the driven"wheel.has returned to theposition shown in full lines in Fig. 1, at

which time the roller E abuts against the next succeeding shoulder andthe pullingaction is" repeated. the dotted lines in Fig. 7,whichrepresent the It will be observed from 1 speed of the. bicyclevitis desirable to apply a backward pressure upon the pedals, and toprevent therollers from traveling backward in the portions of-the groovebetween the shoulders I provide the pivotedpawls G,

. which are adapted to be raised to permit the rollers to travel underthem in approaching the shoulders and then to drop behind them and holdthem securely against back motion.

These 'pawls are pivotedin recesses in the disk and act by" gravity. 1 Ii In order to prevent theroller from dropping away from the shoulderwhen no pressure is appliedupon the pedals, springs H are provided uponthe extensions I of the disks of the driven wheel. Each of the springshas a shoulder 72,, whicln as the extended end f of the rod rises in theforward turning of the 1 wheel, overtakes the end f, and, hookingover,it effectually prevents the forward end of the rod from dropping awayfrom the shoulders of the grooves. It will be observed that the springH, being farther away from the center of the disk D than the pivot f,will travel faster than the said end f, and by the time the disk hasmade a semirevolution the springshoulder will be far enough away fromthe rod so as not to interfere with the roller passing away from theshouldered portion of the disk. The spring II is located in a recess inthe portion I of the disk, and I find it desirable to provide a recess 0in the inner face of the rod, so that on the downward movement of theparts the spring will pass the rod without contact.

I prefer to retain the rollers within the groove by means of overlappingflanges.

The pedals K may be secured to cranks connected to the crank-axle in theordinary manner, or they may be carried upon arms or extensionsK,secured to the disks themselves, as is found desirable.

It will be observed that in order to provide a driving connection withgreater or less speed it is only necessary to vary the numher ofshoulders in the driving-disks and any number may be used, as founddesirable, the size of the disks being changed, of course, as foundnecessary.

I claim- 1. In combination with the driving-shaft and driven wheel, theconnecting-rods having their rear ends pivotally connected to the drivenwheel, disks upon the driving-shaft having continuous ways in theirfaces provided with approximately radial portions forming shoulders, theforward ends of said connecting-rods having a sliding connection withthe ways and being arranged to alternately engage with said shoulders toexert a longitudinal pull upon the rods during the entire forwardmovement thereof, and to be released therefrom to permit the rods tomove freely backward to their initial position, substantially asdescribed.

2. In combination, the driving-shaft and driven wheel, the connectingrods having their rear ends pivotally connected with the driven wheel,the disks upon the drivingshaft having grooves in their faces withangular portions forming shoulders, extensions or offsets upon theforward ends of the rods adapted to alternately engage said shouldersand slide in the intermediate portions of the grooves, and means forholding the ends of the rods against reverse movement in the groovesafter they have reached the shoulders, substantially as described.

3. In combination, the driving-shaft and driven wheel, the connectingrods having their rear ends pivotally connected with the driven wheel,the disks upon the crank-shaft having continuous grooves in their faceswith approximately radial portions forming shoulders, extensions oroffsets upon the forward ends of the rods traveling in the groovesadapted to alternately engage the shoulders to exert a pull upon therods and to disengage the shoulders to permit the rods to moverearwardly, and means for preventing the disengagement of each rod fromthe shoulders until the rear wheel has made a semirevolution,substantially as described.

4. In combination, the driving-shaft and driven wheel, the disks orcrankarms carried by the driven wheel, the'disks on the crank-shaft,having continuous grooves in their faces provided at intervals withshoulders, connecting-rods pivotally connected to the disks on thedriven Wheel and having extensions or offsets attheir front ends adaptedto travel in the grooves and alternately engage the shoulders, and slidein the intermediate portions of the grooves, and springs carried by thedisks of the rear wheel adapted to engage the end of the rod in rear ofits pivot and prevent the front end from disengaging the shoulders untilthe driven wheel has made a semirevolution, substantially as described.

5. In combination, the driving-shaft and driven wheel, disks carriedbysaid parts, continuous grooves in the faces of the drivingshaft diskshaving shoulders at intervals, connecting-rods pivotally connected attheir rear ends to the driven-wheel disks or crankarms and havingoffsets at their front ends adapted to travel in the grooves and toengage the shoulders, and springs carried by the driven-wheel disks andadapted to engage the rods in rear of their pivots, said rods havingrecessed portions to permit the passage of said springs in front of thesaid pivots, substantially as described.

6. In combination, the driving-shaft and driven wheel, disks carried bysaid parts, continuous grooves in the faces of the drivingshaft diskshaving shoulders at intervals, connecting-rods pivotally connected attheir rear ends to the driven-wheel disks or crankarms and havingoffsets or extensions traveling in the grooves of the driving-disks andadapted to alternately engage the shoulders and to disengage the sameand slide in the intermediate portions, and pawls located in proximityto the shoulders adapted to engage the rods and hold them againstreverse movement until the rear wheel has made a semirevolution,substantially as described.

'7. In combination, the driving-shaft, the driven wheel, the diskscarried by the driving-shaft having grooves in their faces provided atintervals with approximately radial shoulders, the connecting-rodshaving their rear ends pivotally connected to the rear Wheel, and havingoffsets traveling in the grooves and adapted to abut against theshoulders to exert a longitudinal pull upon the rods, said grooveshaving overhanging edges adapted to retain the offset ends in thegrooves, substantially as described.

I11 testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HUG-ER W. J OHNSTONE. Witnesses:

HENRY E. COOPER, WALTER DONALDSON.

